Guidebook
Lonely Planet Canada
Lonely Planet · 2024
Country-wide guide for combining Canadian falls, from Quebec and Ontario to the Rockies and the North.
Canada · Alberta
Sunwapta Falls
Sunwapta Falls is a pair of waterfalls of the Sunwapta River in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. The falls are accessible via a 600-metre access road off the Icefields Parkway, which connects Jasper and Banff National Parks.
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Sunwapta Falls drops 600 metres (1,969 ft) on the Sunwapta River, inside Jasper National Park. It is a plunge-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Alberta, Canada. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Sunwapta Falls is the second-tallest of the 61 we cover in Canada. As a plunge waterfall, water leaves the rock entirely and falls free through the air.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Sunwapta Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Alberta are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotographyWildlife & safari
When to go
Snowmelt-driven: April to June is the big-water window, and some falls almost disappear by late summer.
Getting there
- Base town Alberta, Canada
- Country Canada
- Region Alberta, Northern North America, North America
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Sunwapta Falls
Canada
Height600 mWidth—
Most similar
Sulphide Creek Falls
United States
Height671 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in the United States
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
108 m
330 m
600 m
671 m
979 m
Victoria FallsEiffel TowerSunwapta FallsSulphide Creek FallsAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 1.6× taller than Sunwapta Falls. It drops 5.6× further than Victoria Falls (108 m). We don't have a reliable crest width for Sunwapta Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
On the map
52.53233, -117.64463
Quick answers
Where is Sunwapta Falls?
Sunwapta Falls is in Canada (Alberta), inside Jasper National Park. The nearest base is Alberta, Canada. Its coordinates are 52.5323, -117.6446.
How tall is Sunwapta Falls?
Sunwapta Falls drops 600 metres (1,969 feet). It is a plunge-type waterfall on the Sunwapta River.
When is the best time to visit Sunwapta Falls?
Peak flow is April to June. Snowmelt-driven: April to June is the big-water window, and some falls almost disappear by late summer.
What can you do at Sunwapta Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking, photography and wildlife & safari. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Sunwapta Falls?
The usual base is Alberta, Canada. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to Sunwapta Falls
UNESCO Athabasca Falls
Canada · 24 m · 20 km away
Most powerful waterfall in Jasper National Park
White-water rafting
Tangle Falls
Canada · 48 m · 40 km away
Tangle Falls is a multi-tiered waterfall located in Jasper National Park along Icefields Parkway. It has 4…
Crescent Falls
Canada · 27 m · 90 km away
Crescent Falls is a series of two waterfalls located on the Bighorn River in the Bighorn River Canyon in…
Swimming
Overlander Falls
Canada · 120 km away
Overlander Falls is a waterfall on the Fraser River in Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia…